Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I was a dried-out husk. But I didn’t even have the strength to get up and get water.
Thankfully, Jet and Vishen were the types of men to jump into action, to want to fix a problem.
I mean, the water only helped momentarily. As soon as I stopped drinking, the pain started again.
Jet held me through it, though, and there was some comfort in being held, in hearing him swear he was going to figure the situation out.
Even if I was losing faith in that by the moment.
I tried several times to speak before Vishen returned with two large buckets of water, but nothing came out. Not even a squeak.
“Could the Bellhush be making her this thirsty?” Jet asked his guard.
“I mean, maybe? Everyone reacts differently to it. Maybe she’s got some underlying condition that makes her react this way.”
“She’s still not speaking.”
“Noticed that. Slow metabolism?” he suggested. “It will wear off. Shit doesn’t last forever. I’m gonna go take Knight out, get him fed, grab you some breakfast, and have a guard go haul more water. We’re gonna drain the local river at this rate.”
With that, he called Knight and left the room.
As I sat and sipped and did nothing.
I knew I could duck into the water closet, fish out my flask, and take a drink. It would all go away. Temporarily.
The problem was, if the night before was anything to go by, I was going to need every last drop to help me escape.
I couldn’t risk it.
“Feeling better?” Jet asked.
I felt awful. But compared to how I felt when I woke up, I guess the answer was yes. So I gave him a nod.
“Still no speaking?” I opened my mouth but no sound came out. I exhaled hard.
“Yeah, that sucks. How about writing?” he asked, miming waving his hand around on his hand.
Writing.
I understood the concept. I’d seen people doing it. Or reading the written word. Carving their initials in one of the trees around my lake. But I had next to no interactions with other fae. I certainly had no need to learn to write letters. Nor did I have anyone to teach me.
I shook my head.
“No? You… you don’t know how to write?”
I shook my head.
“Where the fuck are you from?” he asked, speaking mostly to himself with his brows furrowed. “Well, it shouldn’t matter for much longer.”
I hoped so.
I had so much to say.
About Grimwood.
About what happened to me.
About why I was so unwell.
I knew he had a lot to say too, but it was pointless when I couldn’t give him the answers he was looking for.
“After breakfast, do you want to bathe? I’m going to need to endure a meeting with my father. Maybe a bath will help with… whatever is going on with you. Then after that, I’m hoping we can talk.”
I gave him a nod, wondering if maybe bathing in the local water would revive me more than simply drinking it. It wouldn’t be the same as with my lake, of course. But it would be worth a try.
Vishen made his way back into the room with Knight in tow and carrying a large tray loaded with fresh fruits.
I picked at the food as Jet and Vishen had a rapid-fire discussion that I was only half able to follow. There were so many names and titles involved that it all just blurred together in my mind.
“Can you have the servants bring up some hot water?” Jet asked.
Not sure what else to do, I slapped my hand on his leg three times, drawing not only his but Vishen’s attention to me. Once I had it, I shook my head.
“No bath? Changed your mind?” I exhaled hard.
“Don’t think that’s it,” Vishen murmured.
“Do you want a bath?” Jet asked. I nodded. “I’m lost,” he said to Vishen.
“Alright. She wants a bath. Do you not want the servants to bring it?” I waved a hand at that, then crossed my arms and fanned myself.
“No… hot?” Vishen guessed.
“You don’t want hot water?” Jet clarified. “You want a cold bath?” I nodded, feeling the knots in my shoulders loosen.
I couldn’t have anticipated how frustrating it would be not to be able to communicate. I suddenly had a lot of empathy for people who spoke different languages or even babies, who simply hadn’t learned any language yet.
I would never take my voice for granted again. If I were looking for a silver lining in this whole awful situation, I guess it was that Grimwood made me appreciate something I once never even thought about.
“Alright. I’ll get the servants to bring up cold water for the bath. Then I’ll lead you down to see your father. And you,” he said, looking at me, “will have Knight with you. But make sure to lock the door while we’re gone.”
With that, everyone’s plans were set in motion. While I sat and ate and drank and hoped to hell the bath would ease the ache in my arms, legs, and shoulders that was getting stronger by the moment.